The Ball
Back to Doctor Byron Orpheus It has been some time since my fellow travelers and I set out for Constantinople. We were fortunate in liberating an air ship and were making good progress flying through the clouds of Europe. It is a fascinating and exhilarating form of travel. I had taken out the tome of bonnifician lore we had discovered in the late Cardinal’s belongings, and was peacefully reading when my stomach lurched in my chest and everything in the cabin seemed to rattle as if an earth quake had struck us in the air. I ran out to the deck and found the colonel attempting to land, and he had lowered our altitude much to fast. The ground was rising fast to crush the tiny ship and at the last second, instead of crashing into an open field, the colonel managed to instead crash into a barn. Fortunately no one was hurt, and after assessing the ship, it seemed we would need a mechanic. The colonel would seek out a mechanic in the nearby town, while I would escort Ting Wu and my daughter to obtain supplies. After several hours of shopping we returned to the airship. The colonel had found a mechanic that could fix our ship, and also secured us lodgings at a castle nearby. Seems he knew one of the local nobles. We attended a late dinner at the castle, and after perusing their library, I was asked by the Lady of the castle to secure magic protection for a ball they were having tomorrow. I of course agreed, and Ting Wu offered to assist as well. I assured the lady that no manner of Fairie would be able to pass my wards. The following day, I spent much of my time preparing the wards, and with the assistance of Ting Wu, we were able to create 2 very powerful wards. I spent the rest of the evening preparing for the ball. During the ball everything seemed to be going well till I noticed some of the servants preparing to hurl water balloons into the crowd from an upper balcony. I alerted my companions Colonel Gentleman, and Ting Wu, and then headed up the balcony. We dispersed the rebel rousers, and my companions returned to the ball, when I noticed more troublemakers on the further side of the balcony. I went to confront the servants but as I approached the second balcony I began having an uneasy feeling. Sure enough it was an ambush. A large brigand appeared from behind and attempted to knock me unconscious but I was able to dodge. He then drew a pistol on me. Being unarmed I felt it my only course to surrender. Bound and gagged I found myself in a side room of the balcony. With two uniformed men watching over me. Shortly after the colonel joined me in much the same predicament. We spent the next half hour this way until Ting Wu rescued us with her suffocation spell. We snuck back to the ball to find some sort of military group had hijacked it. We were able to secure the ballroom after using the arcane arts and the colonels sharp shooting. Having secured the safety of the guests, we began looking about the castle for the leader of this assault. Apparently they were searching for some sort of lore or artifact. We had found them cornered in the basement. I asked the colonel to alert the authorities, and I would trap them inside by turning the doors to lead. My magic was successful, and the group was trapped in the basement. Help arrived several hours later, and I dropped my spell and the officers charged into the basement. Alas no one remained. Apparently they had used a forgotten escape tunnel and were able to abscond with what they had sought. Realizing that I am a pushover whilst unarmed, I am seeking to improve my fisticuffs.